My Way Home is Through You

“I officially hate school.” I complained as Gerard and I descended down the concrete steps. It was finally the end of the day and I had a pile of homework the size of Mount Everest due for tomorrow.

The whole day, Gerard hadn’t even brought up the almost kiss from last night. I was grateful for it, but at the same time I wanted to talk about it. I wanted and needed to know what he thought. But I wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up.

“Oh school isn’t that bad.” Gerard said to me.

“Okay there mister, I have no homework.” I groaned as I buttoned up my pea coat and hiked my messenger bag strap further on my shoulder. “Seriously how do you manage it?”

“I’m simply amazing, that’s how.” Gerard laughed as he saw me struggling with my bag and helped me pull it up before it ended up all over the ground.

“Thank you.” I said as we both neared the parking lot. It was getting exceptionally cold out

“No problem.” Gerard replied. “So you’re still going to come over tonight, right?”

“That’s if I get my homework done in time.” I said. We had stopped at the beginning of the parking lot; the cool wind was nipping at my exposed skin.

“I’m sure you will, it really isn’t that much.” He stated simply. I laughed.

“You know how much I suck at math; it may take me hours, even days to get the homework done.” I said and waved my arms around in the air for emphasis, only to pull them closer to my body for extra warmth.

“You could come over sooner, and I could help you.” Gerard offered. I thought about it, get help with my math get it done sooner, stay home and struggle and not be able to go over.

“Or I could see if you could help me at my house?” I said.

“Alright, so I’ll meet you at there?” Gerard said. I nodded my head and we both started towards our vehicles.

“I’ll see you there.” I said and I quickly got in my car and turned on the heat, I couldn’t wait for the warmth of the heater to warm my body. I waited a few seconds as Gerard backed out of his parking spot and started to drive away. I mimicked him and began driving in the direction of my house.

Thom Yorke’s voice soon took over my speakers and I sang softly to the words. Gerard pulled onto our street and I followed shortly after, he parked in front of my house on the street and I took my spot in the driveway. I turned the car off and grabbed my messenger bag and got out of the warm vehicle. The wind picked up and I almost lost my balance. Gerard got out of his car and walked up the driveway.

“Should I wait out here?” He asked.

“No, it’s way too cold out here for you to wait.” I said as we both walked up the few porch steps and into my house. We both slid off our shoes and he waited at the foyer while I went into the kitchen to find both my parents drinking a cup of coffee.

“How was school?” My mother asked.

“It was good.” I said as I dropped my messenger bag by the table.

“Do you have any homework?” My father asked me, the tension between him and I seemed to have lightened but I still felt pretty awkward.

“Yeah, I do. But about that, Gerard’s here and he offered to help me with my math. Would that be alright?” I asked as I stuffed my hands into the pockets of the sweater I was wearing.

“Where are you doing this homework?” My father asked before my mother could get a word in.

“Well where I usually do my homework.” I said.

“He can stay, but you need to do your homework in the living room.” My dad said.

“Is that really necessary honey,” My mother butted in. “I’m sure her and Gerard would be fine working upstairs.”

My father tensed up but soon relaxed as he took another sip of his coffee. “Your door stays open.” He said to me. I nodded and picked up my messenger bag and left the kitchen without another word. I could hear my parents mumbling to each other as I walked further away.

I could see Gerard looking at some of the photos that hung on the wall in the hallway and soon turned to me as he heard me approach. I quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him up the fuzzy carpeted stairs and into my room. I wasn’t worried about it being messy because it never was.

I dropped my messenger bag on the twin sized bed that sat below my window in the corner, and then I too fell onto the bed. I watched as Gerard circled my room, exploring every inch of it. My room was painted a dark plum colour with a fuzzy beige carpet. My dresser sat on the opposite side of my bedroom closer to my door and the top of it was littered with random things and a few of my vanilla scented candles. My room was smaller so it didn’t contain much more a few shelves near my closet that held many of my books and the last piece of furniture was my bed side table that had an alarm clock and a few more vanilla candles.

Gerard grabbed one of the candles from my dresser and smelled it. He smiled, I think more to him than me and placed it back down. He then began to study the posters that littered my walls.

‘So that’s why you always smell like vanilla.” He commented as he tore his eyes away from my posters and looked me in the eye. I began to blush. I didn’t answer him back but rather I began to pull my math books from my bag.

“Are you ready for torture?” I asked as I held up the math books. He laughed as he walked over and sat on the bed.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” He laughed and made himself more comfy on the bed. I pulled my legs up and sat cross legged while facing him.

Half an hour later and I was on the last question, while Gerard zoned out and stared out the window. I finished it in five minutes flat and closed my book and placed it off to the side.

“I’m done!” I said and raised my arms in the air.

“Congrats,” Gerard said and clapped his hands.

“Thanks so much Gee, without you I’d still be slaving over that math.” I said and leaned forward to hug him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around me. We both let go and I sat down properly again.

“So, do you have anymore homework?” He asked. I searched my messenger bag and realized that that’s all the work I had.

“Surprisingly no, I thought I had more than that.” I stuffed my math books back into the messenger bag and let it fall to the ground.

“So, what do we do now?” Gerard asked. I shrugged my shoulders and turned my body so I leaned against the wall and let my feet hang over the bed. Gerard also turned and mimicked my sitting position.

“We could talk about yesterday?” Gerard said and looked down at his fingers.

“What’s there to talk about?” I asked.

“Did you want to kiss me?” Gerard whispered. I stayed silent and took a quick glance in Gerard’s direction. He sat there staring at his shaking fingers. “Mackenzie?” He said nervously.

I made eye contact with him and slowly leaned toward him; I stopped about half way and looked down at his crossed hands. I reached down and linked my fingers with his and then I looked back into his eyes, the hazel eyes that reminded me of a summer’s day.

“How’s this for an answer?” I asked as I leaned the rest of the way and connected our lips. This was my very first kiss, and it was exactly how I imagined it. It was soft and it felt like time had stopped completely. It was just Gerard and I, our lips moving in perfect sync. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.